| Advanced Medium STOL Transport | |
|---|---|
| Boeing YC-14 | |
| Project for | tactical transport |
| Prototypes | Boeing YC-14, McDonnell Douglas YC-15 |
The Advanced Medium STOL Transport (AMST) project was intended to replace the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport in United States Air Force service with a new aircraft with improved STOL performance. Increased need for strategic airlift led the Air Force to cancel the AMST program and seek a larger airlifter.
The Advanced Medium STOL Transport project arose from a USAF requirement released in 1968. The official RFP was issued in 1972, asking for a C-130-class aircraft with short take-off and landing capability. This included operating from a 2,000-foot (610 m) semi-prepared field with a 400-nautical-mile (740 km) radius with a 27,000-pound (12,000 kg) payload.[1] The C-130 of that era required about 4,000-foot (1,200 m) for this load.
Five companies submitted designs at this stage of the competition. On 10 November 1972 the downselect was carried out, and Boeing and McDonnell Douglas won development contracts for two prototypes each. This resulted in the YC-14 and YC-15, respectively.[2]
Both the YC-14 and YC-15 met the specifications of the contest under most conditions. Both types had higher drag than expected, which decreased performance.[3]
The increasing importance of strategic vs. tactical missions eventually led to an end of the AMST program in December 1979.[4] Then, in November 1979, the C-X Task Force formed to develop the required strategic aircraft with tactical capability.[5] The C-X program selected a proposal for an enlarged and upgraded YC-15 that was later developed into C-17 Globemaster III.[6]